Filter panel



o. H.- SCHAAF Aug. 13, 1 946.

FILTER PANEL Filed March 30, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OLIVER H SCHAAF I o.H. SCHAAF FILTER PANEL Filed March 30, 1944 Aug. 13, 1946.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORL OLIVER H. ScHAAF A TTORNE Y8 Patented Aug.13, 1946 Oliver H. Schaaf, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to Air-MazeCorporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation .of Delaware Application March 30, 1944., Serial No. 528,704

4 .Claims.

. 1 This invention relates to improvements in a filter of the panel typeand more particularly to a panel of the type wherein stiff screenmaterial is assembled within .a surrounding frame. An object of thepresent invention is'to provide novel means for securing sheet filtermaterial in a framework while at the same time providing a positive,seal preventing the by-passing f a fluid stream between the filteringmaterial and the surrounding frame.

Another object of the present inventio is to I provide a frame whichis'cheap to construct and in which it is eas to assemble a filteringmedium and to secure the same in place without special tools.

Another object of the invention is t provide a novel frame for a filterpanel wherein th same die may be utilized for forming the sheet materialat all corners of the frame while at the same time provide aninterlocking structure at the frame corners easily secured together asby welding.

Other objects and advantages in the invention will be apparent from theaccompanying drawings and description, and the essential features willbe summarized in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of the panel embodying my invention;

Fig 2 is a bottom perspective view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental View of the lowermost corner of thedevice of Fig. 1;

Fig. i is an enlarged fragmental view of the uppermost corner of thedevice of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental view of a portion of the uppermostcorner of Fig. 1 broken away to more clearly show the construction;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken along the line 6-5of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an exploded view showing the parts at the lowermost corner ofFig. l disassembled but in relative position for assembly;

Figs, 8 and 9 show the frame in partially assembled form; while Figs. 10and 11 show the blanks from which the sides of the frame are formed.

I have shown my invention as applied to a panel wherein two sheets I5and I6 of stiff screen material are folded in zig-zag form and assembledin a frame It with the folds of the layer I5 extending at right anglesto the folds of the layer I6. While this is a preferred form of mdevice, I do not necessarily limit myself to a panel having only twolayers of screen material. Th screen material may be of metal, plastic,or the like, and the filaments of the mesh material may be bare,

orsuitably coated as for instance,- the cloth-covered material disclosedin the copending application of Clarence J. Glanzer, S. N, 529,925,filed April '7, 1944. I have shown a preferred form of my device whereinthe zigzag folds of the layer I5 are deeper than the folds of the layerI5, but, here again, I do not desire to unnecessarily limit my inventionto this form only. The above-mentioned layers of filter material It andIE are shown assembled in a frame of generally rectangular shape; and Iprovide novel means for preventing the leakage of air or other fluidbeing filtered around the edges of the filter material. To this end thesid members Ila parallel to the folds of layer I5 are each provided witha lip l8 formed by bending the sheet material of the frame at rightangles away from the face .of the filter panel and then bending the.same back upon itself as clearly shown in Figs. 5., .6, and 7. The edgelid of the layer It is placed between the parallel portions of the lip18, and, to secure the par-ts firmly together at this point, theparallel portions of the 'lip maybe squeezed tightly against the edgel5a of the filter material so as to hold the same permanently in place.Similar structure is provided on the two sides of the frame ll'b (atright angles to the sides Ila) to secure the edges of the layer I6. Tothis end a lip it i formed on each of the sides Ill) at the face of thepanel opposite to that where the lips it are found. Here again the edgeslta of the layer it are placed between the parallel portions of the lipsI9 and t the parallel portions then squeezed down upon the filtermaterial if desired to hold the same securely in place.

The frame Il may be very cheaply but efficiently formed by cutting sheetmaterial, such as metal, into the form of blank shown in Figs. 10 and11. Fig, 10 shows the longer sides HE) while Fig. 11 shows the shortersides Iia. It will be noted that the same die may be used for cuttingthe ends of the blanks of Figs. 10 and 11 thus saving the expense ofdies. After the blanks are formed, each sheet is folded along the line aat right angles to form the lip A which overlies the screen material atone face of the panel. The sheets are folded along the lines D at rightangles to form the portions B adjacent the lips I8 or I9 as the case maybe. The sheets are again folded along the lines 0 at right angles toform that parallel portion C of lip I8 or I9 which is nearest the frame.The blanks of Figs. 10 and 11 are finally folded back along the lines dto provide the portions D of the lips I8 andIB,

. which are parallel to the portions C. The cars E at each end of eachpanel are folded at right angles along the lines 6 so as to providemeans for securing the corners of the frames to ether. It will be notedthat the length of the ear E in the direction of panel depth issubstantially equal to the dimension F. It results from thisconstruction that when a corner is assembled, say. with the parts in theposition of Fig. '7, the ear E of the side llb fits below the ear E ofthe side Ila and against the inner surface of the web of the side Ila.In like manner, the ear E of the side Ila will lie above the ear E; ofthe side I 1b" and there engage the inner surface of the web of the sidellb. The ears E-are' then preferably spot-welded to the adjacent andcontiguous walls of the frame sides.

4 said folds substantially abutting the sides of said frame.

2. A filter panel comprising a rectangular frame, the sides thereofformed of sheet material and the front and rear faces of said panel openfor fluid flow therethrough, each side being formed of a sheet having ateach corner end an opening through the sheet adjacent said end andadjacent one face of said panel, an ear integral with said sheet andextending at right angles to said side from a zone on the side of saidopening remote from said panel face and extending thence to a terminussubstantially in the plane of the said panel face, said sides assembledwith The openings 2:] permit the introduction of welding electrodes forthis 'operation. Preferably the ends of the frame portions B near thecorners of the frame and alongside near one face of said panel folded inzig-zag folds parallel to two opposite sidesof said frame, there being arecess portion in each .of said sides opening toward said panel face,the last of said each ear contiguous with the adjacent side, and

means there securing said contiguous ears and same shape right and lefthand, there being an folds adjacent each of said sides entering one ofof said last named sides opening toward .said

other face of said panel, the edge folds of said second sheet enteringsaid last named recess portions, and the edges of each sheet normal toear projecting beyond the corner line at each end of each side, each earhaving a dimension from front to rear equal to approximately, one-halfthe distance between said front and rear faces and leaving the otherhalf of said distance va-, cant, said ears being bent at right angles totheir respective sides, said sides being assembled with each earabutting an adjacent side and the ear of one side occupying the vacantspace next to an ear of the adjacent side, and means securing each earto the adjacent side of the frame.

OLIVER H. SCHAAF.

